Petrocephalus

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Petrocephalus
Petrocephalus bane

Petrocephalus bane

Systematics
Overcohort : Osteoglossomorpha (Osteoglossomorpha)
Order : Bony tongues (Osteoglossiformes)
Subordination : Knifefish-like (Notopteroidei)
Family : Nilhechte (Mormyridae)
Subfamily : Petrocephalinae
Genre : Petrocephalus
Scientific name of the  subfamily
Petrocephalinae
Tavern , 1972
Scientific name of the  genus
Petrocephalus
Marcusen , 1854

Petrocephalus is agenus ofAfrican freshwater fish from the Nilhechte family(Mormyridae). In German they are also called boxernil pike because of their blunt snouts.

features

Petrocephalus species grow to be 5.2 to 20 centimeters long. Your body is relatively short, high back and flattened on the sides. The caudal peduncle is narrow, the caudal fin always forked.

In contrast to the other species of Nilhecht, they have a basic phenoid (sphenoid bone). The first two rays of the dorsal fin are unsegmented (in the other genera only the first), all others are segmented. The nostrils are close together and are located below or just a little in front of the front edge of the eye. The mouth is more or less subordinate and is below or only slightly in front of the front edge of the eyes. The dorsal fin and anal fin sit far back on the body and are almost symmetrically opposite each other.

Like all Nilhechte, Petrocephalus has the ability for electrical orientation and communication.

Systematics

Petrocephalus is basal to all other Nilhechtgenus and is therefore classified in a separate subfamily, the Petrocephalinae, while all other Nilhechtgenus form the subfamily Mormyrinae .

species

Petrocephalus ansorgii
Petrocephalus catostoma
Petrocephalus keatingii
Petrocephalus sauvagii
Petrocephalus simus

There are over 40 types :

literature

Web links

Commons : Petrocephalus  - Collection of images, videos and audio files